Ectoparasites (Feather Mites) on Wild Birds at Some Localities in Egypt

The present study was conducted for two years (2016-2018) to throw some light on the acarofauna feather bird mites (Arachnida: Acari: (Astigmata) of some wild birds in some Egypt governorates. The study revealed the presence of 30 species of feather bird mites, belonging to 9 families and one suborder (Astigmata) were collected from 21 species within 8 families. Mites were extracted using modified Tullgren funnel and mounted in Hoyers medium on microscopic slides for examination. The parasitic feather mites detected in the present study included feather mites of families Alloptidae, Analgidae, Avenzoariidae, Proctophyllodidae, Pterolichidae, Trouessartiidae, Xolalgidae and Falcuferidae. The present study showed that wild birds in Egypt harbor various species of ectoparasitic feather mites.